Louver window and operating means therefor



Dec. 23, 1941. E. A. scHoTTENBERG n 2,257,140-

LOUVER WINDOW AND OPERATING MEANS THEREFOR Dec. 23, 1941.

E. A. SCHOTTENBERG LOUVER WINDOW AND OPERATINGV MEANS THEREFOR Filed Aug.` 7, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 DeC- 23, 1941s E. A. scHoTENBERG 2,267,140

LOUVER WINDOW AND OPERATING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Aug. 7, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 31 lli o YEHIIIIIIIIIMIIEIII Patented Dec. 23, 1941 LoUvEn wmnow AND oPEaATI'NG MEANS 'rnaanroa Elmon A. Sonnenberg, Youngstown, ome, ,as-

signor to Truscon Steel Company, Youngs- I town, Ohio, a corporation o! Michigan Application August 7, 1940, Serial No. 351,750

` (C1. 18sssi 2 Claims.

This invention relates to louver windows; that is to say, to windows of the type comprising a vertical series of sashes hinged at their tops for upward and outward and downward and inward swinging movements to open and closed positions, respectively, and has generally in view to provide in a window of this type, novel mounting and supporting means and novel operating means for the sashes thereof.

In many instances the window opening to be controlled by a louver window may be abnormally wide, and in such cases it has heretofore been considered impracticable for dierent reasons to employ sashes of lengths to extend from side to side of the window opening, one principal reason being that requisite sash stiffness and strength cannot practicably be combined with desirable lightweight sash construction. Consequently, in such cases, the usual practice heretofore has been to divide the window opening into two or more window spaces by one or more vertical mullions and to provide a separate and distinct louver window unit for each window space. This, however, involves many duplications, complications and expenses which it is desirable to avoid. Ac-

characters of reference denote corresponding window constructed in accordance with one praccordingly, one special object of the' present inven- I lack of strength or stiffness in the sashes even though they may be abnormally long and light f weight in construction. Thus, the -sashes may be of lengths to extend from side to side of abnormally wide window openings and may be of desirable light weight construction, with consequent attendant advantages and avoidance of the disadvantages of the prior practice mentioned.

Another special object of the present invention is to provide a louver window sash operating mechanism which is housed, protected and concealed by the window frame and which includes means for adjustably connecting it with the sashes to compensate for manufacturing variations and imperfections in the sashes and their mountings and in the operating means and op erating mechanism despite such imperfections.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will become more fully apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in a louver window embodying the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and dened in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,'wherein like tical embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the window. Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing the window sashes opened.

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical section through the window with parts broken away.

Figure 5 is a detail view illustrating the adjustable connection between one of the sashes and the sash operating mechanism.

Figure 6 is a detail view illustrating one of the frame-carried sash hinging elements'.

Figure 7 is a horizontal section through the window on an enlarged scale.

Figure 8 is a cross section through the sill of the window showing the mounting of part ofthe sash operating mechanism therein.

Figure 9 is a detail view illustrating the manner of pivotally supporting the sashes intermediate their ends, and

Figure 10 is a detail perspective view of one of the adjustable connection elements shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A designates, generally. the frame of the present louver window and B designate, generally, the sashes thereof. v

The frame A comprises, as usual, a sill I0, a lintel Il and side members or stiles l2 and, in accordance with the invention, at least the sill I0 and the side members or stiles I2 preferably are of hollow construction to house parts of the operating mechanism for the sashes B. Preferably, too, the frame A is constructed from a comspaced apart relationship, while in their clo bination of sheet metal and metal bars of suit-y able cross section, while the frames of the sashes B preferably are lconstructed as usual from metal bars well known in the metallic window art. However, both'the frame A and the frames of the sashes B may be constructed from any other suitable materials.

The sashes B are disposed in a vertical series andare of lengths to extend 'from side to side of the window opening in the frame A, and are hinged at or adjacent to their tops to the side members or'stiles I2 of said frame A for upward and outward swinging movements to open position, as shown in Fig. 3, and for downward and inward swinging movements to closed positions, as shown in Fig. 4. In their open positions the extend outwardly from the frame A in vertically positions they are disposed in a common vertical plane, as is usual and well known.

Any suitable means may be employed hingedly connect the sashes B to the side members or stiles I2 of the window frame A, but a practical and preferred means for this purpose consists, as shown in the drawings, of pins I2 suitably fastened to the top rails of the sash frames and having free end portions extending beyond the ends of the sashes and iournaled in brackets Il suitably fastened to said side members or stiles I2.

Likewise, a mechanism of any suitable type may be employed for swinging the sashes B to open and closed positions, but a practical and preferred means for this -purpose is illustrated in the drawings as comprising a shaft I5 suitably mounted in the sill I9 and extending from side to side thereof, means for rotating said shaft comprising a reduction-gear I8 mounted in said sill I and operable by a crank Il exposed at the inner side of said sill, and connections I3 between said shaft I5 and the sashes B which.

connections are housed by the side members or stiles I2 of the frame A.

Each connection I8 comprises a pinion I9 fixed to the shaft I5, a vertically disposed bar suitably mounted for vertical sliding move- -ment in the related stile I2 and having at its lower end a rack portion 20' in mesh with the pinion I9, a plurality of brackets 2|, one for each sash B, carried by said bar 20 and each having a horizontal slot 22 therein, and an arm 23 fixed to each sash and having a pin 24 disposed in the slot 22 of the related bracket 2|. Thus, by turning the crank I1 to rotate the shaft I5 in one direction, the b'ars 20 are moved downwardly and the brackets 2| carried by said bars thereby are caused to cooperate with the arms 23 to swing thesashes B upwardly and outwardly,

- while by turning said crank to rotate said shaft in the opposite direction, the bars 20 are moved upwardly and the brackets 2| are caused to cooperate with the arms 23 to swing the sashes downwardly and inwardly.

The brackets 2| are fastened to the bar 29 by screws 25 which extend through vertical slots 26 in said brackets. Thus, each bracket is adjustable vertically relative to the bar 20 to compensate for manufacturing inequalities and imperfections in the window structure as a whole and to insure a freely operable connection between the bar 20 and each sash. To assist in securing and maintaining desired adjustments of the brackets 2|, each bracket Vhas associated therewith an adjusting screw 21 threaded in a related lug 28 carried by the bar 20.

To intermediately hinge and support the sashes B in case the window opening should be abnormally wide and the sashes should, there-60 brackets, one related to each sash, xed to said fore, be abnormally long, a vertical post 29 is mounted between the sill I0 and the lintel II of the frame A and brackets 30 are suitably fastened to this post and have the sashes intermediately pivoted thereto at their tops as indicated at 3|. In this connection it will be observed that the post 29 is disposed entirely inwardly of the sashes B so that it does not in any way interfere vwith the sashes extending from side to side of the window. The sashes therefore may be as long as the window opening is wide, and yet, even though the sashes may be abnormally long and of desired light weight construction, but lacking in desired inherent stiffness and strength, they are nevertheless rendered sub- 20 and the lengths of the sashes.

stantially as stiff and sturdy as narrower sashes` because of the intermediate supports thereforv aorded by the post 29 andthe hinge brackets 30. It is apparent, therefore, that the present 5 provision for intermediately supporting abnormally long sashes eliminates any necessity of dividing the window opening into two or more window spaces by one or vmore mullions and of providing a separate set of sashes for each winl0 dow space, with consequent avoidance of the many disadvantages of this prior practice and the securing of many attendant advantages.

Preferably the front of the post 29 is disposed so as to constitute a supporting abutment against l5v which the sashes B come to rest when they are closed.

0f course, only a single post 29 or any desired plurality of such posts may be employed, depending upon the width of the window opening Moreover, the post or posts 29, as the case may be, may be of hollow construction and may, if desired, house a duplicate or duplicates of the operating connections I8 between the shaft I5 and the sashes B.

25 Without further description it is thought that 30 construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A louver window comprising s. frame including sides and a post between said sides,

unitary sashes extending from side to side of said frame across the front of said post, pintles pivotally suspending said sashes at their tops from the sides of said frame for swinging movements between open and closed positions, a plurality of brackets, one related to each sash, fixed to said post, each bracket having an arm rigid therewith extending outwardly from said post partly across the top of its related sash and having a pintle connection with the top of its related sash in axial alinement with the pintle connections of the related sash with the sides of the window frame, whereby each sash is effectively supported between its sides for swing- 5 ing movement between open and closed positions, means connecting said sashes for simultaneously activating the same.

2. A louver window comprising a frame including sides and a post between said sides, unitary sashes extending from side to side of said frame across the front of said post, pintles pivotally suspending said sashes at their tops from the sides of said frame for swinging movements between closed and open positions', a plurality of post, each bracket having an arm rigid therewith extending outwardly from said post partly across the top of its related sash and having a pintle connection with the top of its related sash in axial alinement with the pintle connections of the related sash with the sides of the window frame, whereby each sash is effectively supported between its sides for swinging movement between open and closed positions, the

ELMON A. SCHOTI'ENBERG. 

